100 ‘Damned’ Good Reasons to Be An Atheist, Part 3
Many religious people will tell you that it’s better to believe than it is to not believe, and bring out a whole suitcase of ‘logical’ arguments for why that is the case, but they’d be lying. Here’s why it’s better to be a Heathen like me.
21. Demons don’t determine downfall — As strange as it may seem, there are still people in the world who attribute illness and bad experience to demons, invisible tricksters who influence the world for the worse. The advantage for Atheists is obvious. Being rational by rejecting supernatural causes for bad experiences leaves us open to more immediate, effective solutions.
22. No ‘Intelligent Design’ — If you’ve paid attention to Evangelical political maneuverings over the years, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about Intelligent Design and their attempts to apply it as an alternative to the science of evolution, usually through intellectually dishonest means such as claiming Intelligent Design isn’t religious dogma, despite the fact that it’s merely ‘Creation Science’ repackaged in order make religious indoctrination appear more reasonable, and seem more palatable as a proper course of study in secular, public education. The advantage for Atheists, who generally adhere to the principle that evidence overrides assumption, is that these attempts to wedge religious indoctrination through closed doors rarely stand up to close scrutiny, forcing religious people to periodically redefine their arrogant attempts at brainwashing.
23. Diminished ego — Atheists don’t base their self-worth on whether or not they can convince Believers to disbelieve. We offer information on our perspective and give people the chance to accept or reject it as they choose. Many believers are so self-absorbed in the assumption that they are right that their ego depends on them fighting constantly to convert everyone they can to their way of thinking. This self-absorption has taken some of them to very dishonest places, such as white people pretending to be Middle-Eastern in order to indoctrinate Muslims to Evangelical beliefs.
24. No Gideons — Have you ever seen those white guys in cheap suits, with bad haircuts, standing in the way of students at university in order to intimidate those students into taking a bible they probably don’t want, and calling it a wonderful gift? They may not all be Gideons and they definitely wont call it intimidation, obviously; but if you put yourself in the path of someone you don’t know in order to force their attention, you are, in fact, using an intimidation tactic to force your point of view. You’re saying that your perspective matters more than their peace of mind and that you’re going to give it no matter what. You’ll never see Atheists pulling these stunts. Also, you’ll never find Atheist literature waiting for you in a hotel room when you check in. Maybe that should change.
25. Better Jokes — Since Atheists have no codified moral codes, there are fewer taboos. Thus, we can tell more jokes, like the one about Mary Magdalene preferring men who are hung like this (visualize hands close, palms facing a few inches apart and then arms spread into a crucifixion pose). Granted, there is still a thing about polite company and the appropriateness of certain discussion subjects, but that has more to do with common courtesy than religious pronouncement.
26. No street preachers — Have you ever been out on a Halloween night and seen some jerk with a microphone and loudspeaker yelling about how wicked and sinful you are for enjoying the festivities? Atheists don’t do that.
27. No Reincarnation fantasies — We have one life and that’s it. Plus, it’s always been a bit of a curiosity that many people who buy into notions of reincarnation are deluded into thinking they were someone of significance and substance in a previous life. These people never seem to say ‘I was a sewer worker who waded through shit constantly to make a living.’
28. Just say no to Classroom proselytizing — You’ll never see an Atheist teacher in a public school go off script, toss the accepted lesson plan and try to indoctrinate children against their will. Critical thinking is an important skill and Atheists are more inclined to stress the value of teaching kids how to think, to properly evaluate evidence, rather than insist people adhere to a specific point of view through forced religious instruction.
29. No snake-oil salesmen — You’re definitely less likely to see charlatans pushing ‘sugar water’ cure-alls in Atheist circles. Since we adhere strongly to the principles of scientific method, we’re less likely to tolerate this kind of behavior in our ranks. And we’re less likely to be taken in by unethical con-artists who prey on naivety to make a buck. That alone makes being an Atheist worthwhile.
30. No snake-handling — Snakes can be deadly, so it’s better to leave them the fuck alone… Handling poisonous reptiles as a ritual of religious worship is about as insane as cutting off a toe because you’re tired of clipping a toe-nail. Just say no…
Continued in Part 4.
DISCLAIMER: For those who are curious, I do not allow feedback on posts of this nature due to the fact that religionists have nothing original to say on the matter. They continually trot out the same tired, unqualified arguments for why they are right and I am wrong and I refuse to waste another second of my life re-litigating these issue with people of limited imagination.
